The Practice of Phytoremediation as an Urban Paradigm – an Implementation of Plant Strategies Fostering Health-Promoting Potential of Small-Scale Green Areas

This paper aims to present a methodical design of a small-scale urban green area with increased phytoremediation potential. The applied compilation-based method of organising green area allows both determining the quantitative potential of improving air quality and simultaneously identifying qualitative aesthetic features. A multifaceted evaluation of the designed solution is an integral part, leading to the identification of optimum designs in site-specific conditions, which are being tested and developed as a case study. In the presented example, the micrometeorological computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model involving the ENVI-met software is used to simulate various properties of the plant layout and its influence on the PM2.5 concentration. The result of the CFD simulation indicated that the proper sequence in the plant layout may reduce the level of pollution concentration behind the green barrier by about 7-8%, on average. Simultaneously, we demonstrate that the assembly of plants, organised according to phytoremediation requirements, acts as passive protection from traffic-related pollution, and may offer high visual value. The correlation of these two aspects maximises the benefits of nature-human relation, extending the scope of the 'restorative' as a concept and revealing the multifaceted potential of phytoremediation as a method of urban green area design.